Predominantly composed of hillside and waterfront terrain, its homes and offices are known for their views of the San Francisco Bay, Corte Madera Creek, and Mount Tamalpais. "Brae" means a steep bank or hillside in dialects of Scotland and Northern Ireland; Greenbrae translates to "green hillside." The developer of Greenbrae, Niels Schultz, Jr., died in early 2008.[3] Greenbrae's neighborhoods are bordered by downtown Larkspur to the south, Larkspur Landing to the east, the unincorporated area of Kentfield to the west, and the city of San Rafael to the north. Straddling Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, its most frequented points of interest include Marin General Hospital and Bon Air Shopping Center.

Several sports stars also lived in Greenbrae. Football coach Pete Carroll was raised in Greenbrae, as was baseball player Buddy Biancalana. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Gomez died in Greenbrae in 1989. Wilt Chamberlain had a house custom built in Greenbrae when the NBA Warriors moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco.[6]

Director Don Siegal filmed the final scenes from the 1971 movie Dirty Harry on East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. After hijacking a school bus, "Scorpio" (Andy Robinson) drives into East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at the Greenbrae interchange.